GLENROCK Illusion set a new world record price for a Limousin animal when sold for 125,000gns (£131,250) at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.

The maiden heifer also established a new all-breeds UK and European record for a bovine animal.

The sale of the Glenrock Limousin Herd on behalf of Mr & Mrs Stephen Illingworth, of Howgillside, Lockerbie, attracted a crowd from across the UK and Southern Ireland.

She was purchased by Mike & Melanie Alford, of the Foxhillfarm pedigree herd, Cullompton, Devon, in a half share with Danny Sawrij for his Swalesmoor herd at Kedzlie, Galashiels.

Illusion, a January 2013-born embryo calf by the 23,000gns Goldies Comet and out of Glenrock Spangle, already has a glittering show record.

She was junior Limousin champion and reserve junior interbreed champion at the 2014 Royal Highland; junior Limousin champion at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show; Scottish Limousin Grand Prix champion in August, and junior champion and reserve interbreed at the 2013 Stars of the Future Show.

Melanie Alford said they may flush Illusion to Sympa or their home-bred 38,000gns Foxhillfarm Irishlad to add to the tremendous female line of the herds Bankdale Elizabeth.

The Glenrock sale was caused by the Illingworths – Stephen and Helen and son, Thomas, and daughter, Vicki – being given the chance to buy Howgillside after 20 years as tenants.

They only kept Glenrock Spangle, their 12 year-old “herd matriarch cow”, which has bred females to 20,000gns and bulls to 16,000gns.

At the sale, her progeny sold for a gross of £257,000 sending her life-time progeny past £366,000.

Mr Illingworth said: “While we always knew Illusion was a very special heifer, to sell her for £131,000 is way beyond our wildest expectations and is very much the icing on the cake for what was a great sale throughout.”

The 65 lots grossed £537,000 and included 15 maiden and yearling heifers averaging £15,155 and 32 cows served and/or suckling averaging £6,811.87. Eleven lots made five figures or more. Among the few bulls on offer CN & N Raine of Stanhope Gate, Middleton-in-Teesdale, paid the top 15,000gns for the November 2012-born Glenrock Humdinger. An embryo calf he was sired by the noted Sympa out of Glenrock Spangle, and was best young bull in the 2013 North West Limousin Club Herd Competition.